NDF-Mindanao's response to the bishops and NASSA's statement

Jorge "Ka Oris" Madlos
Spokesperson
NDF-Mindanao
April 18, 2004

NDF-Mindanao wishes to present its side on the issues raised in the statement dated April 16, 2004 and signed by 42 Catholic Bishops, 7 of them from Mindanao and the National Secretariat for Social Action, Justice and Peace (NASSA).

True, elections in our country is bad. Indeed, reactionary election is even worse and hopeless long before the assertion of the revolutionary taxation by the revolutionary movement.

Long before the assertion of the revolutionary taxation by the revolutionary movement, Philippine elections have not alleviated a bit the lives of the people, how much more solving the fundamental problems of the country? At most, reactionary elections only serve to create a democratic fa�ade of the political monopoly of the ruling elite. Thus, we believe that the social transformation of these oppressive and exploitative semi-feudal and semi-colonial society can only be achieved through a revolutionary process.

Is revolutionary tax in the form of permit to campaign extortion? No. It is an inherent right of an existing and growing revolutionary government to implement taxation, even in the form of PTC.

Will there be a failure of election due to the revolutionary government's permit to campaign (PTC) requirement, and would this prejudice some candidates from winning? No, almost all of the candidates in Mindanao have met the requirements of the PTC and therefore nobody is prejudiced of the chance to win, except those few who would not accept the reality that the revolutionary movement is getting stronger. Failure of elections may occur where there are intense military operations and election fraud by either party.

On the question of belligerency status. This is never mentioned in the Hague Joint Declaration as the framework guide for peace negotiations between the GRP and NDFP, nor was it discussed in the recent Oslo Talks. Although it is now a reality that a new sovereign revolutionary government is gradually rising from the countryside, it is not for us nor the GRP, to declare the NDF as belligerent. Belligerency status is something that a revolutionary movement achieves in the course of the protracted peoples' struggle as recognized by the international community.

Our revolutionary taxation follows the line of "from the masses to the masses." Thus, all proceeds we get from revolutionary taxation will, in turn, benefit the masses in the implementation of land reform, health, educational and other social services, as well as arms and military logistics for its own army. True, we are buying weapons with the money generated from revolutionary taxation. This is not to destroy the interests of the masses but to weaken the reactionary AFP and to strengthen the genuine peoples' army who are waging a just war against the unjust war of the mercenary AFP.

Can the present election processes narrow the gap between the rich and the poor? Is PTC a hindrance in narrowing this gap? Reactionary elections is the game of those who have guns, goons and gold. In fact, almost all of them have already complied with the PTC requirements that also include their varying commitments to support peoples' issues and benefits. Not even the least able candidate who had already complied PTC requirements and freely campaign in NDF territories, after all can guarantee the narrowing of the gap between the rich and the poor.

Does the PTC encourage corruption? Since the Commonwealth period, culture of corruption is inherent of all the puppet and reactionary regimes. The PTC as a legitimate governmental function of the revolutionary movement should not be deferred by a threat that the PTC will amplify corruption.#